The 53rd edition of the Istanbul Jewellery Show was scheduled from 16 – 19 March 2023 and it was a pleasure to go back to Istanbul after my first visit to the October 2022 Istanbul Jewelry Show and Topkapi Palace Museum.
Istanbul Jewelry Show is one of the top 5 international jewellery events in the world and the leading event of the region, offering a comprehensive marketplace and new business opportunities to all jewellery professionals around the world. It contributes to the development and growth of the jewellery sector by bringing the important companies and brands of the sector with the buyers, providing the most suitable platform in terms of new business opportunities and information sharing. The show witnessed the latest products and services of 1500 companies and brands, with over 40.000 sectoral professionals coming from over 140 countries.
It was an honour to be a part of the panel discussion hosted by Art For Jewelry Inspiration Hub on “Digitalization of the Jewellery Industry’’.
Here is the crux of my talk:
• I shared my passion for the Gems & Jewellery industry.
• The launch of my social media journey, The Diamond Talk, in 2018.
• My point of view on the evolution of social media platforms!
Let me take you through a few of my discoveries!
My first stop was by Sankari Gold, and I was in complete admiration by the detailing of the Holy Quran book cover handcrafted in 21 Karat gold and enamel detailing.
Since 75% of Turkey’s population is Muslim and Ramadan is the holiest month of the year in Islamic culture, this is my tribute to all my friends fasting during this sacred month.
Turkey is one of the leading jewellery manufacturing centres around the world. The country’s demand for GOLD is underpinned by a deep cultural heritage, and it plays an important role in weddings and other religious events; additionally, the Ottoman Empire’s influence of gold in jewellery was high, which resulted in many gold jewellery manufacturers across the country! Turkey, perhaps better than anywhere else, illustrates the broad role gold can play in modern society. Featured above are unique 21K gold jewellery.
An ‘eye’ for an ‘eye’! The evil eye symbol has been around for thousands of years of history and across various cultures. Known as Nazar Boncuk in Turkey, this evil eye amulet is known to ward off the jealous look of others, which, according to popular belief, has the power to cause misfortune to a person or his property. Turkish people believe that this amulet protects its holder from bad energies by absorbing them. I found these exquisite amulets by Roberto Bravo.
Do you believe in wearing an evil eye! Let me know in the comments!
At the Istanbul Jewelry show, I discovered a very unique concept in jewellery manufacturing known as Electroforming. It is a jewellery process where multiple layers of metals are allowed to build up, or “form” onto a surface. The artist can control where the metal will form on the jewellery piece by first painting the pattern on the item with special, electro-conductive paint. When the item is suspended in a plating tank, a current is supplied to it that allows the metal to start “forming” where the paint has been applied. Once the electroforming has reached the desired thickness and effect, the final coat of gold is plated. The result is an extremely lightweight jewel!
Featured above is a crocodile-inspired necklace and bracelet seen at Innova Jewellery.
It was a pleasure being a part of the Istanbul Jewelry Show and I look forward to the 54th edition.